Greylith, page 19
“Understood!” Darkflame shouts louder.
“Yes, sir,” Xander stands at attention.
“You did it!” I stare up at Xander and wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him passionately.
Xander sets me down quickly, “Love, we have to go!”
Right, war.
Xander grabs my hand and leads Lyric, Wren, and I out of the High Council Chamber where we see that Caspian has left, probably to leave for his post when the gong that signals war went off. We head up the steps and into the courtyard.
What seems like every member of Fort Weave is rushing to a post. Xander keeps running and tries to pull me back inside toward my room.
“What are you doing?” I break my arm free.
“Getting you to safety,” Xander orders.
“I’m not hiding while everyone else in Fort Weave is trying to defend me,” I snap. “I understand that you’re my commanding officer, but I also need you to hear me when I say this. I’m ready to fight.”
“I don’t like this,” Xander says.
“Don’t let him do this, Xander!” Wren yells. “I’m not going to let my brother die out there!”
“Um, hi! I’m standing right here,” I say irritated by their discussion.
“She’s right,” Xander turns to me. “You still haven’t been trained in proper battle technique.”
“Then what was the fucking point in the three of you training me!” I yell.
Lyric sighs, “He’s right.”
Wren and Xander stare at her.
“We can’t just sit here and protect him forever,” Lyric starts. “We’ve trained him to the best of our abilities and he can hold his own. Now, we need to let him prove it!”
“Best of your abilities,” Xander tells her. “Not mine.”
“I knew you were holding back!” I shout. “You set me up for failure.”
“You couldn’t have taken me even if you wanted to,” Xander lowers his voice.
“Yeah, well you didn’t give me the chance to try,” I say, anger flooding my face. My jaw trembles as I try to fight back tears of anger.
Xander leans his head up to the sky, and I can tell he’s fighting with himself on what to do.
“Fine, let’s just go,” I walk past the three of them and head toward my room.
“Wait,” Xander lets out a long sigh. “You’re right. You can’t hide forever.”
“Nightingale,” Wren steps into Xander’s line of sight. “What the hell are you saying?”
“I’m saying, Recruit Greylith will stand his ground and fight to protect Fort Weave and Aetheria,” Xander looks down at her. “And that’s Officer Nightingale to you. To all of you.”
Damn, he’s sexy when he's authoritative.
“Unbelievable,” Wren says under her breath.
Lyric and I give each other an approving grin, almost as if this was planned.
“There is one condition,” Xander says matter-of-factly.
“Anything,” I look at him, trying to make my face look serious.
“You stay by me and do as I say, the entire time,” Xander doesn’t blink when he says that.
It almost sends a shiver down my spine, the severity in his voice. He knows I’ll follow his orders. He’s my commanding Officer and I know that I need to respect him, and I do. He should also know that I will stay with him, not because I’m worried about me, but because I wouldn’t forgive myself if I let anything happen to him.
I nod my head to agree.
“Fine,” Wren chimes in. “Where are we stationed?”
“Let’s get up on the wall first and see what’s going on and what we’re up against.”
We know what we’re up against. The Shadow Army and their Puppets.
We run up a long flight of stone steps to the top of the outer wall that overlooks the ocean surrounding Fort Weave.
I look out and see ships sailing right for Fort Weave. Not one or two, but dozens.
“How the hell did they get in here?” Wren snaps to Xander.
“What do you mean?” Lyric looks at Wren.
“The barrier is impenetrable,” Wren turns to Lyric. “They shouldn’t be able to get across it, unless-.”
“Unless what?” I swallow hard.
“Unless someone from the inside lowered it,” Xander sighs. “We have a traitor in Fort Weave.”
“Could it have been Ironleaf?” I ask. “I mean, they entered the barrier right around the time that Ironleaf was escorted away.”
“It’s possible,” Xander stares blankly ahead. “But we’d have to talk to the guards that locked him up, and we don’t have the time to go look for them.”
In the distance, a single old, black ship sails right toward the dock that we were at when we first came to Fort Weave. On board are a few Shadow Walkers and one dark figure, but it doesn’t look like a Puppet.
“Do you guys see the rocks that protect the Fort?” Lyric asks.
“No,” Wren says coldly.
“Dammit,” Xander looks toward the rest of the ships in the distance.
Xander sighs. “A Water Weaver must’ve raised the water meaning, if Ironleaf is the one that lowered the barrier, he’s got accomplices to help him.”
Dammit, is right. It could take forever to find the person that helped him, or the group of people that helped him.
As they dock, the Shadow Walkers begin walking up the cliffside stairs followed by the unknown being. When the enemy closes in, I finally see the figure up close as it enters the courtyard.
“What the fuck is that?” Lyric whispers, grabbing Wren’s arm.
“That,” Xander takes a deep breath. “Is Lucian Bloodmoon.”
He’s covered in shadow armor from head to toe, pieces of it fade into smoke similar to Lyric’s dress at the Halloween Dance. His eyes look as though they are made of hot embers.
“Where is Commander Ironleaf?” Lucian asks in an airy voice.
“He’s been relieved from duty,” Commander Darkflame shouts as he walks forward with a new gold phoenix emblem on his shoulder. “And you have no business here.”
Lucian lowers his head slightly. “You know exactly why I’m here.”
“And you’ll leave empty-handed, as you won’t find what you’re looking for,” Darkflame commands.
“Change your hair,” Xander nods to me.
“No!” I whisper. “I’m not hiding from him. Let him try to kill me, I dare him.”
“Don’t you fucking dare engage him,” he snaps. “And that’s a fucking order.”
“Fine,” I say through my teeth, “But I’m not changing my hair.”
“Dammit, get behind me then,” Xander says, taking a slight step in front of me.
“Where is Greylith?” Bloodmoon shouts to the soldiers of Fort Weave. “Bring him to me, and I will spare you!”
“Like hell you will!” Lyric yells.
“No!” Wren and Xander cover her mouth.
“Ah, you little girl, what’s your-,” Bloodmoon pauses, shifting his gaze to Wren. “That hair! You, What’s your name?”
“I’m Senior Recruit Wren,” she shouts at him.
“Wren, what?” I can hear an evil smile as he asks.
“Wren Greylith!” she yells. “I suggest you leave before you pay the price.”
“Bring me your brother,” he begins to make his way toward the stairs to face her.
Shit, shit, shit!
“Wren, run!” Xander orders.
Wren exhales, but I see a look of panic in her face. She turns away and begins running away.
“Where are you going, girl?” Lucian begins to ascend the stairs. “There’s no need to fear, bring me your brother and I have no qualms with you!”
“Change your hair, now!” Xander orders through his teeth.
I do as he says. I focus on the color of my hair, the light silver, I imagine it filling with pigment, the same as Xander’s. It finishes changing color just in time. Lucian is at the top of the stairs and turns toward us.
“Ah, the mouthy girl,” he glares at Lyric. “Where’s the boy?”
“Why would I tell you?” Lyric glares up at him, gritting her teeth.
Bloodmoon grabs her face and squeezes her cheeks.
Xander smacks his arm, causing him to drop Lyric. “Don’t touch her.”
“Ah, the big brother I presume,” the words curl off his tongue like venom.
Xander takes a deep breath, but doesn’t remove his eyes from King Lucian.
“You must be,” Bloodmoon pauses. “Nightingale. Xander, am I right?”
“How does he know that?” I think to Xander but don’t take my eyes off of Lucian.
“Focus!” I hear back, but it wasn’t Xander’s voice. I look around but see no one with a face that that matches that voice.
“Yeah, I’m Officer Nightingale,” Xander stands up. “And our Commander-in-Chief has told you to leave, so I suggest you do so.”
“Listen to me boy, you will soon learn who is really in charge of the Aetherian Army,” Bloodmoon growls as he turns on his heel. “Oh, I almost forgot.”
Bloodmoon grabs Lyric’s shoulder and drags her forward, but he steps aside and throws her off the wall into the courtyard. Her scream fills the hair as she plummets down.
“No!” I yell. I throw my hands out, I feel the energy surge through me and out of my hands. I feel my Weave catch her and set her down gently.
“Phoenix!” Xander shouts.
I turn around and see Bloodmoon eyeing me. He grabs my throat and lifts me off the ground.
“Phoenix Greylith.” Lucian’s voice rings in my ears. “I’ve been looking for you.”
As he speaks, my focus drops and my hair changes back to silver. My vision gets slightly blurred as the blood struggles to get to my head.
In a quick blur, I hear a loud crack and I fall to the ground. I look up and see that Xander punched Lucian square in the jaw. Xander’s hand is bleeding and Bloodmoon’s helmet where his jaw hides is dented.
Bloodmoon regains himself quickly, turns to Xander and begins to beat on him. One punch in the eye, then he drives his knee into Xander’s gut, followed by a blow with his elbow to his spine. Xander falls to the ground. Fuck he’s fast. Xander, of all people, didn’t even see this coming. Lucian begins kicking Xander repeatedly in the head and jaw.
“Xander!” Lyric shouts from below, who, because of me, is okay. “Phoenix, help him!”
♪ ‘Bird Set Free,’ by Sia ♪
She’s right. Xander needs me. He’s ordered me to not fight Bloodmoon, but Xander is the best fighter we have at Fort Weave and he can’t help himself right now.
Rage floods my body. I feel my feet lift slightly off the ground, and a few stones around me as well. I see Xander’s face already bloody and swollen.
“Lucian!” I yell from behind him, my voice echoing throughout the courtyard.
“Hmm,” Lucian turns around, but he’s not prepared for what he sees. I throw a blast of energy at him, knocking him down the stone stairs that he used to greet us.
I fly down quickly to meet him before he reaches the bottom, “Get up!” I yell. I hold my hand out in a choking shape, my hands don’t touch Lucian, but my powers do. He lifts off the ground from his throat, just as he did to me. However, I’m stronger and more powerful. I take us up high. Higher than the tallest turret in Fort Weave. I hover us over the courtyard and feel the eyes of hundreds of Aetherian soldiers on us. “Give me one fucking reason I shouldn’t kill you.”
Lucian laughs while choking, “I’d like to see you try,” he growls.
Anger clouds my vision. I want to destroy this man. I want his head to crack open. I throw his body as hard as my powers will allow, into the stone wall of Fort Weave. The stone breaks as Bloodmoon flies through the wall and out onto the lawn.
Cheers roar all round me, but I’m not finished yet. I let the energy flow through my entire body. A ball of energy cocoons me in strength as I lift higher into the sky. I hold my arms out and lift my head to the sky. A silver beam of light shoots through me and up into the clouds, blasting a hole in the current barrier. I use my Weave to create a stronger shield for Fort Weave. Stronger than any that has been made before.
“Behind you!” that familiar, raspy voice says again in my head.
I turn around and see Lucian flying toward me in the sky. He’s created Shadow Wings on his suit. I hold my hand out and he stops instantly, while in flight.
“I will kill you!” Bloodmoon hisses.
“You won’t,” I say calmly. “In fact, you and your weak army will leave Fort Weave and if you try to enter again, I will make your death more painful than you could ever imagine.”
“Ahh!” the Shadow King screams.
I flick my wrist and send Lucian Bloodmoon flying into the distance toward his ships. He exits the barrier I’m almost finished constructing. I begin to feel lightheaded, as I’ve just used a significant amount of my Weave, but I find enough strength to lower myself to the courtyard, to see Darkflame has the other Shadow Walker’s that were on the ship with Bloodmoon. He’s got them detained.
“Congratulations, Greylith,” Darkflame shakes my hand. “You’re the first soldier in the Aetherian Army to take down a Shadow King.”
“Sir, I mean no disrespect, but he’ll be back. I didn’t defeat him,” I say, meeting his eyes.
“I know,” he says softly. “I know your father is proud though.”
“My father? Proud? How can he be? He left my family five years ago and hasn’t been seen since. There’s no way for him to know about me or that I even joined the Aetherian Army. He certainly wouldn’t know that I’m a Reality Weaver,” I square my shoulders to the Commander. “I’m sorry, Commander. My father is not proud.”
Darkflame shakes his head.
“What are you going to do with them?” I ask, pulling my attention back to the conversation.
“Well, seeing as the entire Shadow Army were once members of our own army, they are considered traitors, and each of them will have a trial, most likely being sentenced to death,” Darkflame looks between them.
I pause. “What if they give us information?”
“Well, I would consider leniency, however, I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” he laughs. “We haven’t gotten information from a Shadow Walker in over a hundred years.”
“Phoenix!” I hear Wren shout.
I look around but don’t see her anywhere, so I turn back to Commander Darkflame, “Sir, I think I can-,”
“Phoenix!” Wren shouts again. “Up here!”
I turn back around and see Lyric and Wren back on top of the wall crouched down, panicking.
“Xander!”
“Go.” Darkflame orders.
Without hesitation, I launch myself back into the air, with what little energy I have left, but I don’t think about that. I stumble and lose balance slightly, but I can manage. I’m focused on getting to Xander. He needs me. I need him.
I land hard on the top of the wall. I see his body, not moving on the ground. It doesn’t look like Xander at all. His entire body is bruised and bloodied. Both of his eyes are swollen shut and there is blood coming from his mouth and head.
“Help him!” Lyric cries.
Xander makes small noises to me, indicating to me he still has fight left in him.
“Not here!” I say. “We need to get him back into my room.”
I picture my room, focusing hard on the bed where Xander and I lay together when we sleep. I push myself hard but my mind feels cloudy. I rock slightly and almost fall over.
“Phoenix,” Wren grabs my shoulder, causing my eyes to open up. “Are you alright?”
I shake my head slightly, trying to bring her face into focus, “I can’t teleport us.”
“Fuck!” Wren yells.
“What is it?” Lyric looks at her.
“I’m really hoping I’m wrong,” she sighs. “I think you used too much power.”
“Just tell me what that means, Wren!” I shout.
Wren takes a long pause and then lowers her head, “Consumption.”
Consumption? Is she serious? I felt slightly lightheaded and lost my balance as I tried to get to Xander, but I feel fine other than that.
“Phoenix,” Wren says softly as she touches my hand that’s holding Xander. “You’ve used too much power from the Arcane Weave and have lost your abilities.”
“Is it permanent?” Lyric looks at Wren.
Wren sighs, “I don’t know.”
I lower my head and close my eyes. “Yes, you do.”
I can feel Wren look up at me. She takes a long pause before speaking. “It’s probably permanent.”
“No!” Lyric cries.
My mind begins to race. I won’t ever be able to Weave again. I won’t be able to protect my friends. I’ll probably get kicked out of Fort Weave or join the Non-Weavers and be put out on the front lines.
I shake my head back to the present. “Now is not the time to think about this,” I say to Wren and Lyric. “We need to get Xander out of here back to my room.”
Lyric tries wiping her tears away and Wren stares at me with sad eyes.
“Help me lift him,” I yell at Wren.
Wren nods, trying to regain her emotions.
We each place one of Xander’s arms around our shoulders and begin to try to drag him down the stairs, but we stumble. He’s too heavy.
“Here,” I hear a familiar voice call from behind us. Caspian comes running up from behind us. “Let me take him!”
“Where the hell have you been?” Wren snaps at him.
Caspian single-handedly carries Xander down the stairs with ease. He’s not as muscular as Xander, but he sure is stronger than the three of us.
“Not now, Wren!” I shout at her.
Caspian reaches the bottom of the stairs with Xander on his back along with the three of us trailing behind them. What seems like everyone in Fort Weave is in the courtyard staring at Xander as we walk by. Mostly looks of horror, but some are of sadness. Everyone here loves Xander. They also know he’s a great fighter, so to see him so easily defeated is scary to a lot of people as well. I still wish I could teleport us, Xander doesn’t deserve this.
